Members of UCC BDS at the protest this morning.

Protest at Defence Forces event at UCC

A protest took place this morning at UCC where the Defence Forces launched their annual review publication.

UCC staff and students staged a protest outside UCC’s Mardyke where the 2024 Defence Forces Review launch event was taking place.

The theme of that review is Climate Change, Security and Defence but protesters were unhappy that it appears that helicopters being built for Óglaigh na hÉireann contain tech from an Israeli company.

A spokesperson for the university group, Dr Ciaran Dawson said: “Despite commitments from the Irish Government not to purchase military equipment from Israel, it’s emerged that new helicopters being built for the Irish Aircorp contain Israeli developed technology.

“Worst of all, the parts are manufactured by Elbit, Israel’s largest weapons manufacturer whose drones have been used extensively in aerial attacks on Gaza.”

In late August, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said Israeli military companies could not bid for Irish military tenders.

“The people of Ireland will not accept word-deed misalignment from our own Government,” said Dr Dawson. “We expect the Government to act with integrity and keep to its word. It is complete hypocrisy on the one hand to join the ICJ case against Israel for plausible genocide and then on the other hand fund the genocide by buying equipment containing Israeli technology” he added.

UCC student and member of the UCC Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) group Soph Brazil said the Climate Change, Security & Defence event was laughable.

“Some of the biggest sources of climate destruction come from defence contracts,” the student said. “The United Nations says that conflict has brought about unprecedented ecological damage in both Gaza & Ukraine.”